CHRISTIAN LITERATURE & LIVING

Was blind, but now I see.

3 : 3 March 2004

We invite you to support this ministry. Contributions in support of this Ministry are tax-deductible. Kindly send your support to Bethany International 6820 Auto Club Road, Suite A Bloomington, MN 55438. Please write Thirumalai's Ministry in the memo column. Also, please buy your books using the AMAZON link given in every page. Even the smallest contribution will help in running this journal.

Your articles and booklength reports should be written, preferably, following the MLA Stylesheet.

The Editorial Board has the right to accept, reject, or suggest modifications to the articles submitted for publication, and to make suitable stylistic adjustments. High quality, academic integrity, ethics, and morals are expected from the authors and discussants.

CONTENTS

You can now have a print out of your favorite articles using a printer-friendly version! Click the link given at the end of every article!

WARNINGS FOR AMERICA - LESSONS FROM ISAIAH by ... Pastor Dave Strem, with James Skeen
How do you feel about America? How do you feel about life in this country? Many are frustrated by the ungodly things that occur daily in our country. We do not like these changes taking place; we do not like the decisions that are handed down. We do not like the moral shifts. We do not like the rise of sexuality in our culture that is driven by the entertainment industry. What kind of country are we becoming? ... Actually, a more important question should concern us: How does God feel about America? As God looked at Israel in the first five chapters of Isaiah, He reveals His pattern for judgment and what He looks for a nation to do.

ARE YOU HURTING by ... George Foster
We all go through difficult circumstances from time to time and we feel pain. Thank God for people who care about us. We should see them as provisions from the Lord. Yet, beyond the sympathetic help we receive from loved ones, something within us cries out for an explanation. ... The difficulties we go through are not necessarily a sign of God's disapproval. Look at the life of Jesus. ... Some read, "God causes all things." If we see God as the cause of all things, we make Him the creator of tragedies, disasters and atrocities. Personally, I have found it helpful (and I think biblical) to see that God does not cause all things. Rather, He can cause good to come from anything that happens to us. He can even make Satan's attacks work for good.

DON'T TELL ME, CONVINCE ME - How to Persuade the Readers of Your Fiction? by ...Todd J. Holcomb Fiction is not about telling the reader that something is, feels, or looks a specific way, it is about convincing the reader that it is so. Fiction attempts to reproduce the emotional impact of experience, but written fiction has to be translated from words to images in the mind. Not just any detail is significant, but when it appeals to the senses, then it becomes "definite" and "concrete." Since an author cannot convey all that there is to be conveyed in a single moment of a single day, he must convey what is significant. He wants the reader to know the character individually and immediately. He also wants the reader to be making judgments, because if he is not, then he is not interested. For an author not to direct the reader's judgment is for him to invite indifference.

TECHNIQUES FOR TIMES OF TESTING by ... LeRoy Dugan
A friend of mine once told me that he had only one problem in his Christian life - temptation. He was, of course, correct, this is the problem in the Christian life. And for this reason we must know how to handle it. People who still make a practice of sinning do not find temptation much of a problem. Temptation is to them what air is to a bird-the means by which they live in the atmosphere they enjoy. Not so with the follower of Jesus. He knows temptation is like a sniper, bent on blasting him out of blessing. ... When you are being tempted about something, it is best not even to talk it over excessively in prayer, because rethinking the matter makes it seem more irresistible.

WHEN A CHRISTIAN SAYS, "I'M DEPRESSED"
by ... Harold Brokke
What does a person mean when he says, "I'm depressed"? ... Many people, Christians and non-Christians, have experienced depression and conquered it. This was true long before the psychological sciences came on the scene. Over and above all research on the subject, the Bible has the most satisfying answers. Let's look at five sources of depression and the redemptive ways it can be overcome in Christ. ... A good counselor will lead the person to see the sufficiency of Christ and His Word. Such a person should also find ways to show real interest in the needs and concerns of other people instead of "licking his own wounds" in self-pity.

TRANSFORM YOUR DOUBTS!
by ... Ted Hegre
Faith never appears until there has first been doubt. And doubt can be useful if we utilize it properly. All about life is negative. The purpose of these negative things is to bring us to the point of desperation. In desperation all our self-sufficiency is gone. And self-sufficiency is usually the biggest hindrance to our faith. ... The only difference is that in the case of faith we do not turn our own lights out. The pressure of adverse surroundings does it for us. But when the light goes out we have three options before us: We can struggle against the darkness (and only succeed in becoming more aware of it). We can succumb to the darkness (and reconcile ourselves to the dismal prospect of being permanent doubters). Or, we can use the darkness as an occasion to fix our attention upon the author of our faith, God himself. The third choice brings light out of darkness…faith out of doubt.

RAISING GODLY YOUNG PEOPLE IN A GODLESS SOCIETY by ... Alec Brooks
Raising children in any culture and at any time has not been easy, but as we look through history and, in particular, biblical history, we see that it has been done successfully. One of the best examples in the Bible is found in Hebrews 11:123-27. ... The gods of our society are humanism, hedonism, individualism, materialism and consumerism. If we are to raise our children successfully for God, then we must, like Moses' parents, reject the gods that our society worships. Whatever has first place in our lives will have more influence on the lives of our children than anything else. If we are not sure about what has pre-eminence in our lives, we ought to ask our children what they think is most important.

Introdcing SHARING YOUR FAITH WITH A BUDDHIST, a Book on Evangelism by M. S. Thirumalai
In Sharing Your Faith With a Buddhist, the author explains the historical background of Buddhism, its beliefs and practices in many nations, the various types of Buddhism, and teh key differences between Christianity and Buddhism. The practical tools and help on how to reach Buddhists with the good news of Jesus make this an effective source for evangelism both in the United States and abroad. Buddhist thought among the general population, who would not consider themselves to be Buddhist, is becoming pervasive. In many ways, historically speaking, this has been the way Buddhism penetrated into various nations in Asia. Buddhism sought royal or noble patronage and through this patronage influenced the life and thinking of the ordinary people, ultimately to entrench itself as the religion of a people group or nation.

Introducing IF I GAINED THE WORLD, an Interesting Novel on Matrimony by Linda Nichols
This novel presents a delicately woven story of love, living together, separation, and ultimate reconciliation through marriage. Many male-female couples these days live together, and bear and raise children outside matrimony, often because of their reluctance to commit themselves to the responsibilities of family. The lure of their career goals becomes deadly and they choose to live an ungodly life, in spite of their deep love for humanity, frienship, etc. Linda Nichols presents the predicament of a man who chooses his career, and a lovely woman who desires him to be a husband to her and a father to their own child.

This book shows us how to have a life-changing encounter with God. We give below a few paragraphs from this helpful book. Intimacy with Jeus is the focus of this book. ...
" 'Tell me, Pastor Cho,' I said earnestly, leaning across the table toward him. "What is the number one key to having an effective ministry across the globe?' 'Brother,' he said in his beautifully accented English, 'you must understand that you cannot help Jesus Christ, but you can hinder Him. Jesus sees your ministry. He wants to show you His.'

Introducing MAXIMUM IMPACT SHORT-TERM MISSION a Guide to Effective Short-Term Missions by Roger Peterson, et al.
This book is by far the best and comprehensive book on the subject of short-term missions: how to train people for short-term missions, and how to conduct and serve through short-term missions effectively. We can be effective life-long missionaries without becoming long-term missionaries. This book really opened my ideas, and cleared my doubts about the goals, methods, and effectiveness of short-term missions. At least one copy of this book must be bought and read in detail by every church that is interested in missions. And how can a Church be a Church if there is no interest in missions?

Christian Literature & Living is a monthly online journal devoted to the worship of the Lord Jesus Christ through literature, and through living according to His Word. We wish to introduce our readers to the best Christian literature, Christian devotionals, counseling, and to the understanding of the relevance of the Word of God in our daily life, in popular language. Christian Literature & Living is a cross-cultural journal, focusing on Christian literature written in all the languages, and Christian living around the world. We learn by listening to and reading our brothers and sisters in Christ from all around the world. We believe that any creative writing with literary sensibilities that focuses on the presence and life-changing ministry of Jesus Christ is Christian literature. We believe that we all need the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ in order to live a life according to His Word. Christian literature and other writings anointed by the Holy Spirit help us to develop a personal relationship with Jesus as the Lord and Savior.